Around the City: Dripping Springs

Dripping Springs, TX - It's a city that's deep in the Hill Country with a hometown feel -- and people who live there say they want to keep it that way.

In this week's "Around the City," we check out Dripping Springs.

It's the reason why people settled here, and it's how the city got its name.

"The Springs are where people gathered back in the 1800s," said Dripping Springs Mayor Todd Purcell.

The small, Hill Country city of Dripping Springs is located about 30 minutes south of Austin. It's where firefighter and mayor Todd Purcell has lived nearly all his life.

"I grew up here, I went to high school here, my family has lived here for over 100 years, so it really has a special place in my heart," he said.

With a population of just 1,500 people, he says Dripping Springs still has that small town feel, and that's the way he likes it.

"We want to do what we can to preserve that Hill Country feel," Purcell said.

And preserve its history, like the old Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead built in 1854.

"It's the first structure built in Dripping Springs," he said.

It's one of many historical buildings that reminds residents of the city's three founding families.

"It really captures a snapshot in time right around the turn of the century for how folks lived here," said Marianne Simmons of the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead.

Today, the farms and ranches are still important and the city has started a farmer's market.

"People are bringing their goods that are still out here in the Hill Country and they're selling those goods," said Simmons.

You can't come to Dripping Springs without stopping at Rolling in Thyme and Dough. This quaint bakery is a favorite for locals and visitors alike.

With delicious pastries, sandwiches and coffee, it's a popular spot for breakfast and lunch.

"We want to be the center of the community and the community loves to come here," said Fabienne Ballon with Rolling in Thyme and Dough.

Something else this community loves: the vast park land. While they welcome some growth, the Hill Country land is why people come here.

To preserve that Hill Country look and feel, Dripping Springs has adopted ordinances requiring new buildings to look a certain way.

Billboards are not allowed.